Combination fuse



H. M. BRAYTON COMBINATION FUSE Filed 6,112.11. 1924 Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

UNITED STA'ES HAROLD m. BRAYTon, or novnn, NEW JERSEY. COMBINATION FUSE.

Application filed August 11, 1924. Serial No. 731,468.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L, 625.)

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the 5 United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a combination fuse. In fuses of the type which have a movable .projecting striker mounted in the nose of the fuse, there is present a constant source of danger of the striker being moved rearwardly to initiate explosion during handling of the projectile and while it is in the bore of the gun.

The objectof the present invention is to provide a striker which may be selectively set-to be held againstrearward movement at all times or immovable only until the proi'jectile attains a predetermined rotational .velocity innflight. The safety device is so arranged that setting of the fuse from delay to' instantaneous action is accomplished by the simple operation of removing a cotter p The functioning of'the instantaneous or delayelements are entirely independent of s I each other so that instantaneous action may occur-without interfering-with or preventing delay action. This construction permits the delay element to function in the event of 'misfire of the instantaneous element, or failure to. fire as in low angle impact where the striker does not encounter a resistance.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and

combination of elements, described herein after and pointed out in the claims forming 4.0 a part of thi Specification i A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, v Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of 45.1ny improved fuse, the parts, shown. being a suitable container comprising a fuse head move longitudinally,

I face of the plunger.

10, which is in threaded engagement with a fuse body 11. The nose of the fuse head is elongated and bored to form a casing, in which is slidably mounted a striker consisting of a striker head 12, terminating within the fuse in a flanged portion 13, a rod 14, and a firing pin 15. The striker may be held in its forward position against air pressure during flight by means of a coil spring 16, which surrounds the rod 14 and is confined between the flange 13 and the rear end of the casing.

The fuse head 10 is formed at its rear end with a cavity 17 into which projects a stationary firing pin 18, suitably secured in the head specifically by a threaded shank 19 and held by a pin 20. Within the cavity 17 is mounted a plunger 21, which is free to but is constrained against rotary movement with respect to the head by a pin 22 fixed to the head and projecting into a groove extending the length of the plunger. y, r v

The plunger is normally retained. on its seat at the rear end of the cavity 17 by a spring 23, which is confined between the plunger and the head 10, and which may be of sufiicient strength to withstand all shocks incidental to handling, or, if desired, the usually centrifugally released safety pins may be employedto hold the plunger safe. a An aperture 24 is formed axially of the plunger, through which the firing pin 15 is adapted to pass and a second aperture is formed off center for the reception of a primer detonator. 25, the flash from which may pass through a duct'26 which opens atthe rear A' disc 27 interposed between the head and the body centrally apertured to permit passage therethrough of the firing pin 15 and the flash from the primer detonator 25. The disc 27 carries aprimer detonator 28for transmitting ignition to a booster charge 29,

disposed in the base of the body 11.

The fuse head 10 is formed with a transverse passage 30 forwardly of the cavity 17 forithe reception of a cylindrical bolt 31, which is bifurcated at oneend to straddle the firing pin 15 and also formed with a fiattened upper surface 32 to ride under the rod 14, whereby the firing pin will beheld against rearward movement towards the primer and the bolt in turn will be held against rotation. The rod 14 and firing in I v I V 1, 55,591"

15 Will also serveto limit theinvvard position 'of the bolt to aligna' circumferential I groove 38 on thebolt With an apertureepassk *ing transverselyv throngh the 'fnseflhead at right angles to the boltand 'tlirougli'wl'ilich a cotter pin 84 maybe inserted to securely a hold the bolt in safe position. A spring 35,

confined between the bolt and a screw plug 36 is provided for normally holdingthe bolt in safe position when the cotter pin is Withdravvnand the. fuse accordingly setter in- ;-fuse "is fired, theinertiayt'orce created on linear acceleration of the projectile in t'he" bore of the gunwill have no effect on the striker as the bolt positively prevents its rearward movement; 'The cotter pin 34 prevents the bolt from movin'g'out ward through-'1 the'action of centrifugal force during rotational' flight of-fthe projectile and the firing. -pin"15 "Will consequently be prevented from: 'tunctioningon impact. "Ignitionisfree to take place, however, as the vplunger 21 imf pelled for-Ward on "im pact; through" inertia i will cause the stationary firingpin 1 8 to 30- prjime the primer detonator 25.

The fuse reset for instantaneous actionby ,ItlOIizWllilB in'the bore ;-0ra1e gu-n' befing greatly "in excess of 'centrifugal'v tQr-ceYw'ill 1 cause the strilzer to setback wit-hfgreait pres-' I sure on its supportthere'by' eitectually hold-2 l' ing the bolt against lateralv movement," When the projectile leaves the ,gun, t1i'e lin-i xeargacc'eleration ceases and the bolt ivill' be tree to release the striker through the action of centrifugaliforce When'the projectile at- "tain's armingspeed. 7 ThestrikerfWil-l bare "tained" in ari'ned 'pqitmn; duringflightfbythe spring 16 and on'impa'ct it-wil'l befree to be moved rearWardly topri m'e tlie primer "detonator; 28?" "However, theievent of mis-. fire or ffailu'reto fire "the plunger will not be deterred from "movingtoriv'ard ito -ffunc -tion the del ay element ofthetujsef" It will-be vreadily understood :that fthe-iin "stantaneous striker-may be'mounted itself in a fuse, the bolt serving as a'safety'device to prevent arniingfof"thestriker' untilthe- I projectile is in flight, and the 'ldckin'g'lpin I vserving as an' additional precautlonary ineasure during storage and transportation.

"illustrated and vclescflbed' such combination and arrangement of; elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention,

' "it isv'n'evertheless desiredto emphasize the fact that interpretation ofth'e" invention should only be conclus-i'vewhen 'made in light of the subjoinedclaims.

I ruse including a movable st riker,,a' centrifw' 71,0 ,Jga-lly releasable bolt mounted transversely, offlthe fuseand formed with 'a bifurcated further formed with a; circumferential Lively rendering the striker either operative with a circumferential groove, a removable: pin passing throughthe fuse and engaging in the groove fOI "S 616C1V81y rendering,

ignite a common charge independently of;

' fuse includinga movable striker, be 7 I V f-inounted transversely of the -fuse "and adapt-1 merely ithdrawing the cotterpin 2% when the spring 35 will normallyholdi the bolt-in" 7 sate position toprevent rearwara mevem nh of the striker. lVhenvfifred, linear ;accelera v V removable passing through ithe and engaging the groove for selectively; men'- and an -auxiliary* delay firingifmeclianisln *pendently of the striker. 1 5 A; A combination instantaneous and delay iment' thereof, me a'ns for re'leas'ablyfholcling mechanism flm'ou-nted to ignite; a common a "c mblnatloninstantaneous .andineisir gageable with the striker to prevents 1 1lovemen-t; thereof,'-1neans for releasably gholding the bolt in safe position, means reniovable- While in the "foregoing there I-h'as been i ,1Iclai.m:l I n v u; 1. A combination instantaneous and delay endfl'for straddling v therstriker, said bolt 7 groove, a removable pin. passing throughthe i V fuse endemgagmg 1n the groove for :selecor inoperative, and an auxiliary delay firing f, mechanism mounted: to lgnite common 'vcharge independently of the striker. V "8 0 l 2; A combination instantaneous and delay fuse'including a movable striker, acentritu gally releasable bolt mounted "transversely of the fuse and formed With/a flattenedywg.

upper surface adapted to rideunder a shou1-"1a 6 der of the striker, said'bolt further torrn'edi i the striker: operativeor inoperative, and an; auxil ary delay firing mechanism mounted'tos the striker;

Acombinationinstantaneous and d-relay it ed to hold. the striker against fmovement *While in mm being he ld agaiinst rotational.

movemenuj'said bolt formed withza -eircuim feren-tial" groove, means for releasably hold; ing the bolt in contact with the strikergga,

cleri ng' t'he fstriker- -op'erative or inoperative,

mounted to ignite 1 a} common :eha-rge use including a movablestriker, af bolt mounted transversely 0t the use {and Jen gage'able with "the striker I co-prevent move 7 l the bolt in safe position, meansengagingfthei bolt, and removable from the? fuse for; "select-i'vely rendering the fstri ker ioperatiwe :or inoperative, a nd -an auxiliary delay firing,

chargeindependently of the striker;

v-f-use ine lud' ing; a :-movable" striker," 'a' fbolt mountedFt ransver'sely of". the fuse and-en:

fuse including a movable striker, a bolt mounted transversely of the fuse and engageable with the striker to prevent movement thereof, means for releasably holding the bolt in safe position, means for selectively rendering the striker operative or inoperative, and an auxiliary delay firing mechanism mounted to ignite a common charge independently of the striker.

7 A combination instantaneous and delay fuse including a movable striker, normally releasable means for preventing movement of the striker, means assembled to the fuse for rendering the striker inoperative on impact, said means being removable for rendering the striker operative, and an auxiliary delay firing mechanism mounted to ignite a common charge independently of the striker. 8. A point detonating fuse including a body, a movable striker, a centrifugally releasable cylindrical bolt mounted transversely in the body and formed with a bifurcated end and a flattened upper surface for engaging the striker, said bolt further formed with an annular groove, a spring for holding the bolt in engagement with the striker and a removable locking pin insertable through the fuse body and engageable in the annular groove of the bolt.

HAROLD M. BRAYTON. 

